Method and apparatus for network latency performance measurement

• US 6,560,648 B1
• Filed: 04/19/1999
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stern, Edith H., Willner, Barry E., Dunn, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU HA T
• Application Number:
  US09/294,279
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/233, 709/105, 709/224, 709/250, 714/22, 712/27, 463/42, 455/41
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

A communication system (100) includes a network, a first application running on a first Host computer system (First Host) (102) coupled to the network, and a second application running on a second Host computer system (Second Host) (122) coupled to the network. The first application issues an Extended PING command (300) for sending an Extended ECHO message (380) from the First Host (102) into the network and directed to the second application in the Second Host (122). The second application in the Second Host (122), in response to receiving the Extended ECHO message (380), issues an Extended PING command (300) for sending an Extended ECHO reply message (380) into the network and directed to the first application to measure the full loop-back network latency of communicating a message application-to-application across the network.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a network;

a first Host computer system (First Host) coupled to the network, the First Host comprising an operating system platform for at least one application;

a second Host computer system (Second Host) coupled to the network, the Second Host comprising an operating system platform for at least one application;

a first application operational on the operating system platform in the First Host; and

a second application operational on the operating system platform in the Second Host, the first application issuing an Extended PING command, including a field for identifying an application operational on the Second Host, for sending an Extended ECHO message, including a field for identifying an application operational on the Second Host, from the operating system platform in the First Host into the network and destined for reception by the second application in the Second Host to measure the network latency of communicating a message application-to-application across the network.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the second application in the Second Host, in response to receiving the Extended ECHO message, issues an Extended PING command for sending an Extended ECHO reply message from the operating system platform in the Second Host into the network and destined for reception by the first application in the First Host to measure the full loop-back network latency of communicating a message application-to-application across the network.

3. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein the first application causes a timer to be set at the First Host corresponding to issuing the Extended PING command, and the first application then compares the timer to a time when the first application receives the Extended ECHO reply message to measure a total loop-back time delay for message communication to measure the network latency of communicating a message application-to-application across the network.

4. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein the first application, in response to receiving the Extended ECHO reply message adjusts an application operational parameter to automatically adapt to a change in network latency performance for message communication by the application across the network.

5. The communication system according to claim 2, further comprising a user interface means for communicating network latency performance status information to a user of the communication system;

and

wherein the first application, in response to receiving the Extended ECHO reply message provides a measurement signal to the user interface means for communicating network performance status information to the user.

6. The communication system according to claim 5, wherein the user interface means communicates the network performance status information to the user by at least one of the following user interface functions a) display the network performance status information to the user, b) audibly alert the user to provide the network performance status information to the user, and c) provide audible speech signals to the user to provide the network performance status information to the user.

7. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein the user interface means displays the network performance status information to the user by at least one of a) displaying an analog gauge and needle representation to indicate a quality of performance for message communication and network latency by the relative angular position of the needle in the analog guage, b) digital readout display of network performance status information, c) color bar display for indicating network performance status information via color bars, d) coloring a background on a display screen to indicate network performance status information, and e) flashing a screen of a display to indicate network performance status information to a user.

8. A communication system comprising:

a network;

a first Host computer system (First Host) coupled to the network, the First Host comprising an operating system platform for at least one application;

a second Host computer system (Second Host) coupled to the network, the Second Host comprising an operating system platform for at least one application;

a first application operational on the operating system platform in the First Host; and

a second application operational on the operating system platform in the Second Host, the first application issuing an Extended PING command for sending an Extended ECHO message from the operating system platform in the First Host into the network and destined for reception by the second application in the Second Host to measure the network latency of communicating a message application-to-application across the network, wherein the second application in the Second Host, in response to receiving the Extended ECHO message, issues an Extended PING command for sending an Extended ECHO reply message from the operating system platform in the Second Host into the network and destined for reception by the first application in the First Host to measure the full loop-back network latency of communicating a message application-to-application across the network, and wherein the first application issues a second Extended PING command for sending a second Extended ECHO message from the operating system platform in the First Host into the network and destined for reception by the operating system platform in the Second Host; and

wherein the operating system platform in the Second Host, in response to receiving the second Extended ECHO message, sends a second Extended ECHO reply message from the operating system platform in the Second Host into the network and destined for reception by the first application in the First Host to measure the full loop-back network latency of communicating a message Host-to-Host across the network; and

wherein the first application compares the full loop-back network latency of communicating a message application-to-application across the network to the full loop-back network latency of communicating a message Host-to-Host across the network to compare message communication delay from application processing to message communication delay from network processing.

9. A method for a communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a first message, from a first application operating on a first Host computing system (First Host), into a communication network, the first message destined for reception by a second application operating on a second Host computing system (Second Host), wherein the first message comprises an Extended ECHO message, including a field for identifying an application operational on the Second Host, initiated by an Extended PING command, including a field for identifying an application operational on the Second Host;

receiving the first message from the communication network in the second application; and

measuring the network latency of communicating the first message application-to-application across the network.

10. The method as recited for claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

sending a reply message, in response to receiving the first message, from the second application into the communication network;

receiving the reply message from the communication network in the first application; and

measuring the full loop-back network latency of communicating the first message and the reply message via application-to-application communication across the network.

11. The method as recited for claim 10, further comprising the step of automatically adjusting an operation of the first application in response to the measuring the full loop-back network latency step.

12. The method as recited for claim 10, further comprising the step of

presenting a network latency performance measurement information to a user in response to the step of measuring the full loop-back network latency.

13. The method as recited for claim 12, wherein the presenting step includes the step of displaying network latency performance measurement information to a user.

14. The method as recited for claim 12, wherein the presenting step includes the step of audibly indicating network latency performance measurement information to a user.

15. A computer readable medium including computer instructions for:

sending a first message, from a first application operating on a first Host computing system (First Host), into a communication network, the first message destined for reception by a second application operating on a second Host computing system (Second Host), wherein the first message comprises an Extended ECHO message, including a field for identifying an application operational on the Second Host, initiated by an Extended PING command, including a field for identifying an application operational on the Second Host;

receiving the first message from the communication network in the second application; and

measuring the network latency of communicating the first message application-to-application across the network.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further including computer instructions for:

sending a reply message, in response to receiving the first message, from the second application into the communication network;

receiving the reply message from the communication network in the first application; and

measuring the full loop-back network latency of communicating the first message and the reply message via application-to-application communication across the network.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further including computer instructions for:

automatically adjusting an operation of the first application in response to the measuring the full loop-back network latency instruction.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further including computer instructions for:

presenting a network latency performance measurement information to a user in response to the instruction of measuring the full loop-back network latency.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, further including computer instructions for:

displaying the network latency performance measurement information to a user.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, further including computer instructions for:

audibly indicating network latency performance measurement information to a user.